Frances Wellburn suicide: Inquest told of gaps in care

A former NHS manager who took her own life had received no formal mental health support for two months at the start of lockdown, an inquest heard. Frances Wellburn, 56, from Fulford, York, was being treated for a depressive illness and was found hanging at her home on 2 August 2020. An internal NHS trust… Continue reading Frances Wellburn suicide: Inquest told of gaps in care

Covid-19: Young people hit hardest by Covid pandemic

The effect of Covid restrictions and the pandemic on children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) could be “long-lasting” and “severe”. That is according to NI’s mental health champion Professor Siobhan O’Neill. Prof O’Neill also said young people as whole were “more heavily impacted by the pandemic and the restrictions than any other age group”. It… Continue reading Covid-19: Young people hit hardest by Covid pandemic

Covid: Wales teachers to get more mental health support

At one secondary school in Carmarthenshire they know the strain of the pandemic only too well. The headteacher at Ysgol Maes y Gwendraeth has referred more staff for wellbeing support in 12 months than in his first seven years in the post. It is an illustration of the pressure on staff themselves while also supporting… Continue reading Covid: Wales teachers to get more mental health support

After Life bench inspired by Ricky Gervais show installed in Reading

A bench inspired by a Ricky Gervais TV show about loss has been installed in a Reading cemetery. Streaming service Netflix has teamed up with suicide prevention charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) to install the bench. It is a copy of the one seen in Gervais’s show, After Life, and can now be found… Continue reading After Life bench inspired by Ricky Gervais show installed in Reading

Father ‘devastated’ at lack of progress on autism care

The father of an autistic girl locked in a hospital “cell” for nearly two years says more needs to be done to prevent it happening to others. It comes after a damning report revealed none of the recommendations made by the health regulator in 2020 to improve care had been fully achieved. Charity Mencap said… Continue reading Father ‘devastated’ at lack of progress on autism care

‘Photography completely turned my life around’

About six years ago Anna Pepper found herself in a crowded park on the brink of a panic attack. The 34-year-old veterinary nurse from Winchester had been struggling with her mental health, experiencing panic attacks almost daily. Grabbing her phone, she started taking pictures “and without knowing it I just got completely absorbed – the… Continue reading ‘Photography completely turned my life around’

Men’s mental health support group gets NHS funding

A support group to help men deal with anxiety, depression and grief has received more than £4,000 from the NHS. Luke Newman, from Potton, Bedfordshire, created For Men To Talk in 2019 to enable men to be more open about their mental health. The money is from the Heads Up fund, which aims to reduce suicide in middle-aged and… Continue reading Men’s mental health support group gets NHS funding

Essex mental health services inquiry probes 1,500 deaths

A public inquiry has learned of the deaths of 1,500 people who were in the care of Essex mental health services over a 21-year period. They were either inpatients or individuals who died within three months of being discharged. Dr Geraldine Strathdee, chairwoman of the inquiry, said “at this stage we only know the causes… Continue reading Essex mental health services inquiry probes 1,500 deaths

Teenage social media use linked to less life-satisfaction for some

The more time girls aged between 11 and 13 spend on social media, the less likely they are to be satisfied with life a year later, a study suggests. The UK study, in Nature Communications, shows the same pattern for boys aged 14 to 15, and 19-year-old boys and girls. Scientists speculate the vulnerability to social media… Continue reading Teenage social media use linked to less life-satisfaction for some

Essex mental health trust pays out to falsely-accused father

A father has described his rage and sense of powerlessness when staff at an NHS mental health unit made false accusations against him. Richard faced a string of allegations including sexual abuse, sexual harassment and domestic violence. He was accused of “secret trysts” with his daughter and inappropriately touching her. Official paperwork, passed between agencies,… Continue reading Essex mental health trust pays out to falsely-accused father